[New post] Ocean acidification: one less thing to worry about

Ocean acidification: one less thing to worry about Anne-Marin Nisumaa | 13 January 2011 at 10:23 | Categories: Media coverage | URL: http://wp.me/p2Y1l-1u3

Carbon dioxide has been named as the chief culprit in rampant "ocean acidification" which, according to environmentalists on the Natural Resources Defense Council, will soon start killing off fish and dissolving coral reefs, putting a major dent in the seafood and eco-tourism industries.
According to a 2009 statement by Britain's Royal Society, co-signed by Dr. James Hansen, of NASA's Goddard Center, and Dr. Mark Spalding of The Nature Conservancy:
"Temperature‐induced mass coral bleaching causing widespread mortality on the Great Barrier Reef and many other reefs of the world started when atmospheric CO2 exceeded 320ppm.
"At today's level of ~ 387ppm CO2, reefs are seriously declining and time‐lagged effects will result in their continued demise with parallel impacts on other marine and coastal ecosystems...
"Proposals to limit CO2 levels to 450ppm will not prevent the catastrophic loss of coral reefs from the combined effects of global warming and ocean acidification. To ensure the long‐term viability of coral reefs the atmospheric CO2 level must be reduced significantly below 350ppm."
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